Series 1 (Season 27), Episode 7: The Long Game

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Russell T Davies writes a story which leads to two endings. First, the departure of Adam from the series after only appearing in one episode previously. Secondly, the fictional location for this episode also turns out to be the same location in which this seasons finale will be set. The episode confronts the issue of journalists knowing everything about the world however these journalists don't seem to know an awful lot about themselves.

Synopsis: The Doctor takes Rose and Adam to a space station in the year 200,000. However it seems the human race race has been set back around 90 years, the same amount of time that Satellite 5 (the space station) has been broadcasting for. The station controls all the news and is full to the brim with journalists all trying to get a piece of the action. The ultimate goal is to reach floor 500 where 'the walls are made of gold'. However the boss of Satellite 5 realises that somebody is there that shouldn't be and it's not the Doctor. The last surviving member of a group for independence is 'promoted' to floor 500 where they get to meet the Editor and the 'Editor-in-Chief' who is not as human as the workers on the station seem to think...

Featuring: The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Rose (Billie Piper) and Adam (Bruno Langley)

Enemies: The Editor and The Mighty Jagrafess

Afterthought: Actually creeper than I remember it and certainly 'chilling' on the floor 500 scenes. If you want a 'Guide how not to be a Doctor Who companion' just follow Adam's example in this episode!

Verdict:

Story: 3.5/5, Well paced but nothing really 'exciting' happens.

Effects: 2.5/5, Average overall.

Humor: 4/5, Actually quite funny!

Mark Campbell: 2/5, To be expected really!

TOTAL SCORE: 12/20

Elsewhere:

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Game

Official Site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074dr5

The adventure continues with or without Adam! Next Time: Father's Day

The Editor examines his latest employee.

Series 1 (Season 27), Episode 6: Dalek

The Dalek arrives like a new addition of the blog, it's exciting and entertaining isn't it?

The Daleks are back, or at least, one of them is. A long dispute with Terry Nation's estate meant that the episode did not feature a Dalek but instead featured a child creature known as the Toclafane which would later reappear in the series 3 finale. The episode is based on a story called Jubilee originally released as a Sixth Doctor audio. At the start of this episode we see a collection of old monster parts from the shows history focusing mainly on a Slitheen arm and a Cyber head however those with a keen eye will spot a shrunken Sea Devil head and a Mechanoid. This episode sees the first appearance of the companion Adam Mitchell who only stayed for two episodes. We will review his role in more detail in a later blog.

Synopsis: The Doctor and Rose follow a distress call by an unknown source to Utah in 2012. Their destination turns out to be a giant private museum holding a collection of objects which have fallen to Earth over the years from space. Henry van Statten (Corey Johnson), the owner of this collection, is excited to find the Doctor is also an expert in alien artifacts and offers to show him his only living specimen. Van Statten's motives however are not as they seem, all he wants from the Doctor is to get the 'Metaltron' to talk. Talk it does, especially when it finds out the Doctor is the last of his kind like itself being the last Dalek. The Doctor tries to destroy the creature before it can cause further harm but is stopped and arrested by van Statten. Rose, who is being shown around by Adam, Van Statten's purchasing assistant, also decides to visit the Dalek. Her touch to the outer casing however causes the Dalek to be set loose in an attempt to conquer the planet and find the rest of it's species.

Featuring: The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Rose (Billie Piper) and Adam (Bruno Langley)

Enemies: A Dalek

Afterthought: Certainly a very dark episode for the Doctor although of course this is Christopher Eccleston at his best. It's a shame Van Statten didn't get a chance to redeem himself and was simply 'thrown away' at the end. Also, if Van Statten's gone, who's running the internet?

Verdict:

Story: 3.5/5, The plot was completely successful but the characters keeping the same feelings towards the Dalek throughout is exhausting.

Effects: 4/5, The new Daleks are very impressive however the CGI moving parts of the Dalek as the inner being is revealed are not so clever.

Humor: 4/5, There are some light moments to occasionally release tension however this is not what the story is about.

Mark Campbell: 4.5/5, For once I have to agree.

TOTAL SCORE: 16/20

Elsewhere:

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek_(Doctor_Who_episode)

Official Site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074dq8

Exterminate! Next Time: The Long Game

The Doctor meets a Dalek for the first time since the Time War!